Although Andy Mulumba was grateful to have played with some of the greatest athletes in the world and to have experienced playing in the best football stadiums, he still had trouble accepting his career was over after only playing 3 years in the NFL.

“After spending so much time and effort working toward those accomplishments, I had to accept the fact my career was coming to an end. It was enlightening, conflicting and exciting, all at the same time,” Mulumba remembered.

"It was enlightening, conflicting and exciting, all at the same time."

Only taking about a month off after retiring, Mulumba was eager to move forward.

“My Trust Program Manager, Nicole Jordan, guided me through everything I had to do after I decided to retire,” he said. “I didn’t really have the time to focus on the ‘hard things,’ because I wanted to move on to the next adventure.”

"I didn’t really have the time to focus on the ‘hard things,' because I wanted to move on to the next adventure."

Lee Hecht Harrison has been an integral part of Mulumba’s “next adventure,” helping him sort through his options as he figured out life after football.

"Lee Hecht Harrison taught me how to set up my LinkedIn, helped me navigate the different professional opportunities, what employers look for in employees, where I should put my focus, etc.,” he recounted.

"Lee Hecht Harrison...helped me navigate the different professional opportunities, what employers look for in employees, where I should put my focus, etc."

After contemplating what he wanted to do next and being enticed by The Trust’s Scholarship Award Benefit, Mulumba decided it would be in his best interest to go back to school.

“I wanted to upgrade my tools of expertise."

“I wanted to upgrade my tools of expertise. The NFL provides you with great skills and abilities to adapt into society,” Mulumba stated. “I felt the more knowledge and education I could receive, the better I would feel about myself. I would better going into a new career field and also being known as someone who played football but can succeed in other areas of my life.”

Mulumba jumped into studying for the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) in late October 2017 and took the test in January 2018. With a hope to gain experience in a working environment, he began working at Morgan Stanley almost a year ago. He is finishing up his second semester in pursuit of his Master’s of Finance at the University of North Carolina.

“I’ve always been intrigued by finance, how a corporation works and the background of corporate finance,” Mulumba described. “I hope to get more knowledge about it to open doors in the future.”

With the help of The Trust, Lee Hecht Harrison and AthLife, Mulumba has learned how he can leverage the skills and abilities he developed as a football player to excel through his Master’s program and in his post-football career. He encourages other former players to take advantage of the support.

"We have the competitiveness, confidence and determination to accomplish the task at hand."